There were 500 workplace homicides in the United States in 2016

January 23, 2018

Homicides accounted for 10 percent of all fatal occupational injuries in the United States in 2016. There were 500 workplace homicides in 2016, an increase of 83 cases from 2015. The 2016 total was the highest since 2010. Of the workplace homicides in 2016, 409 (82 percent) were homicides to men and 91 (18 percent) were homicides to women. Homicides represented 24 percent of fatal occupational injuries to women in 2016 compared with 9 percent of fatal occupational injuries to men.

Work-related homicides by type of assailant and gender of victim in 2016

Assailant type

Women

Men

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Total

91

100%

409

100%

Robber

15

16

137

33

Other or unspecified assailant

16

18

117

29

Inmate, detainee, or suspect not yet apprehended

4

4

53

13

Coworker or work associate

13

14

53

13

Student, patient, or customer/client

7

8

42

10

Relative or domestic partner

36

40

7

2

Relatives or domestic partners were the most frequent assailant in work-related homicides of women (40 percent) but accounted for 2 percent of assailants in homicides of men. Robbers were the most common assailant in work-related homicides of men (33 percent, compared with 16 percent in homicides of women).

Cashiers incurred the largest number of workplace homicides in 2016 (54 homicides, up from 35 in 2015). Other occupations with high numbers of homicides were first-line supervisors of retail sales workers (50 homicides, up from 40 in 2015) and police and sheriff’s patrol officers (50 homicides, up from 34 in 2015).